The present invenion relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector for printed circuit board (PCB) which has at least two openings one for each direction for receiving a male contact of a mating connector.
It is desirable to mount an electrical connector on a PCB in such a manner that the whole equipment may be compact or the connector may be able to receive a mating connector in different directions. Japanese Patent Kokai No. 54-60285 discloses such an electrical connector. This electrical connector has a rectangular housing with a plurality of receiving apertures for holding female contacts. Each female contact has been formed in such a manner that it may receive a male contact through either upper or lower end of the contacting section. A wiring section extends from a lower end of the contacting section first horizontally and then downwardly. The horizontal wiring portion is received by a horizontal groove provided on the bottom of the housing and the downward portion projects normally to the horizontal groove for soldering to a printed circuit board.
In the above connector, however, the horizontal groove for the horizonatal wiring portion is formed in the direction of a housing thickness so that it cannot help being short. In addition, the wiring section is bent midway in the horizontal groove so that the length held in the horizontal groove is very short. Consequently, when the PCB is dipped in a flux bath, the flux flows through the plated through hole (PTH) along the wiring section to the contacting section of a female contact. For this reason, the gripping force of the contacting section decreases as the thickness of the flux increases, thus failing to provide a predetermined gripping force. The contacting surface covered with the flux causes poor contact. In a solder flow at high temperatures, the flux adhering to the wiring section and the PCB backside becomes gaseous and enters the horizontal groove through the PTH and even the receiving aperture for reciving a male contact and the contacting section of a female contact, depositing there as it cools. This deposit makes a connection with a male contact poor and electrical continuity interrupted.